Tag: the Seven Dolors of Mary

Posted in SEPTEMBER-The SEVEN SORROWS of MARY and The HOLY CROSS

Thought for the Day – 24 September – A Short Method of Meditating on the Seven Dolors

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Manual of Devotions in Honour of The Seven Dolors of the Blessed Virgin Mary by Father Sebastian

A SHORT METHOD OF MEDITATING ON THE SEVEN DOLOURS

I. Place yourself in spirit at the feet of the Queen of Martyrs, and offer her your meditation.
II. Ask her blessing and assistance.
III. Think what Mary suffers in the Dolour on which you wish to meditate.
IV. Think who Mary is that suffers.
V. Think why Mary suffers.
VI. Think how Mary suffers.
VII. Think how you suffer.
VIII. Think which is the principal virtue taught by Mary in that Dolour upon which you are meditating.
IX. Think whether you practice that virtue or not; if not, beg pardon of God, and promise amendment.
X. Finish by making some very praсtical resolutions, and by praying to Mary for relief in all your wants, both spiritual and temporal.

Prayer to the Most Desolate Virgin.
Hail Mary, full of sorrows, the Crucified is with thee; most sorrowful art thou amongst women, and most sorrowful is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of the Crucified, beg tears for us, the crucifiers of thy Son, now and in the hour of our death.
Amen.

An Indulgence of 100 days was granted by his Holiness Pius IX., on December 23rd, 1847, for each recital of this prayer.

Posted in SEPTEMBER-The SEVEN SORROWS of MARY and The HOLY CROSS

Thought for the Day – 23 September – Devotions in Honour of The Seven Dolors – Via Matris

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Manual of Devotions in Honour of The Seven Dolors of the Blessed Virgin Mary by Father Sebastian

THE WAY OF THE MOTHER

Whatever act of homage is practised by the faithful in honour of the Blessed Virgin is welcomed by her with singular love, but above all she is pleased at seeing us occupied in compassionating her Dolours. Such a devotion is so gratifying to Mary, that when she found it in the time of St. Bridget very much neglected, she complained to her in these words:- “There are few who remember my sorrows.”

Wherefore, in order to assist you in meditating upon the Dolours of Mary, we propose to you this devout exercise of the Stations of her Seven Dolours, which can be practised in public or private, in the same manner as the Way of the Cross. This holy exercise has been instituted for some time, and is every day spreading. It was publicly practised in Rome A.D. 1836, in the Church of St. Marcellus, and has been enriched by copious Indulgences of the holy memory of Gregory XVI. A Plenary Indulgence was granted, on July 31st, 1887, to those who on any day shall visit seven times the Stations of the Dolours, and for each time seven years’ Indulgence.

V. Come Holy Ghost, replenish the hearts of the faithful.
R. And enkindle in them the fire of thy love.
V. Send forth thy spirit, O Lord, and they shall be regenerated.
R. And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth.
V. Remember thy congregation.
R. Which Thou hast possessed from the beginning.
V. Lord, hear my prayer.
R. And let my cry come unto Thee.
V. The Lord be with thee.
R. And with thy spirit,

Act of Contrition.
Oh most afflicted Virgin! Alas, with what unthankfulness in my past life have I acted towards God! with what ingratitude have I corresponded to his innumerable benefits! Now, however, I am truly penitent, and in the bitterness of my heart and the sorrow of my soul, I humbly beg pardon for having. outraged his infinite bounty, resolving for the future, by his grace, never more to offend Him. Oh! by all the Dolours which thou hast borne in the Passion of Jesus, I pray thee with tears to implore from Him pity and mercy for my many grievous sins. Receive this holy devotion, which I am about to perform, in memory of those pains and Dolours. Grant! oh grant that those seven daggers which pierced through thy soul may likewise pierce through mine, and that I may live and die in the friendship of the Lord, and enjoy eternally the glory which He has acquired for me by his most precious Blood. Amen.

STATION I. FIRST DOLOUR

How great was the shock to Mary’s heart at hearing the sorrowful words, in which holy Simeon told the bitter Passion and death of her sweet Jesus, since in that same moment she realized in her mind all the insults, blows, and torments which the impious men were to offer to the Redeemer of the world. But a still sharper sword pierced her soul. It was the thought of men’s ingratitude to her beloved Son. Now consider that, because of your sins, you are unhappily among the ungrateful, and casting yourself at the feet of the Mother of Dolors, say with sorrow:

Virgin beloved, who did feel so bitter pangs of soul at seeing the abuse which I, wretch that I am, would make of the Blood of your dear Son, obtain for me, I pray you, by your riven heart, that in time to come, I may better correspond to God’s mercies, profit by his heavenly grace, receive not in vain his lights and inspirations, and so be among the blessed number of those who are saved by the bitter passion of Jesus. Amen.

Amen. Ave Maria.
Virgin most sorrowful, pray for us.
O Mary, sweetness of my life,
Stamp on my soul thy bitter strife,
And pray for me, that I may see Thy joys for all eternity.

STATION II. SECOND DOLOUR

Consider the sharp sorrow which Mary felt when, Saint Joseph being warned by an angel, she had to flee by night in order to preserve her beloved Child from the slaughter decreed by Herod.

What anguish was hers in leaving Judea, lest she should be overtaken by the soldiers of the cruel king ! How great her privations in that long journey ! What sufferings she bore in that land of exile, what sorrow amid that people given to idolatry ! But consider how often you have renewed that bitter grief of Mary, when your sins have caused her Son to flee from your heart. Wherefore repent, and turn to her, humbly saying:

Sweetest Mother, once and once only Herod obliged you to flee with your Jesus, to escape the slaughter which he had commanded; but I, how often have I forced my Redeemer, and you with him, to flee from my heart, when I have admitted into it accursed sin, hateful to you and to my loving Lord. With tears and contrition I humbly beg for pardon. Mercy, dear Lady, mercy ! And I promise you that, for the future, with the help of God, I will ever maintain my Savior and you in complete possession of my soul. Amen.

Amen. Ave Maria.
Virgin most sorrowful, pray for us.
O Mary, sweetness of my life,
Stamp on my soul thy bitter strife,
And pray for me, that I may see Thy joys for all eternity.

STATION III. THIRD DOLOUR

How dreadful was the grief of Mary, when she saw that she had lost her beloved Son ! And, as if to increase her sorrow when she sought him diligently among her kinfolk and acquaintances, she could hear no tidings of him. No hindrances stayed her, nor weariness, nor danger; but she forthwith returned to Jerusalem, and for three long days sought him sorrowing.

Great be your confusion, O my soul, who has so often lost your Jesus by your sins, and has given no heed to seek him at once: a sign that you do make of very little or of no account the precious treasure of divine love. Weep then for your blindness, and turning yourself to that Lady of sighs, your Mother, say with compunction:

Virgin most afflicted, obtain that I may learn from you to seek Jesus when I have lost him by giving ear to my passions and to the evil suggestions of the devil; obtain that I may find him again, and when I possess him once more, that I may ever repeat the words of the Spouse, “I found Him whom my soul loveth; I held Him, and I will not let him go.” Amen.

Amen. Ave Maria.
Virgin most sorrowful, pray for us.
O Mary, sweetness of my life,
Stamp on my soul thy bitter strife,
And pray for me, that I may see Thy joys for all eternity.

STATION IV. FOURTH DOLOUR

Come, O you sinners, come and see if you can endure so sad a sight. This Mother, so tender and loving, meets her beloved Son, meets him amidst an impious rabble, who drag him to a cruel death, wounded, torn by stripes, crowned by thorns, streaming with blood, bearing his heavy Cross. Ah, consider, my soul, the grief of the blessed Virgin thus beholding her Son! Who would not weep at seeing this Mother’s grief? But who has been the cause of such woe? I, it is, who with my sins have so cruelly wounded the heart of my sorrowing Mother! And yet I am not moved; I am as a stone, when my heart should break because of my ingratitude.

Virgin most holy, I crave pardon for the sorrows I have caused you. I know and confess that I deserve it not, for it is I through whom your Jesus was so treated; yet do you call to mind that you are the Mother of mercy. Show mercy then to me, and I promise to be more faithful to my Redeemer in the time to come, and thus to console you for the many sorrows I have offered to your afflicted heart. Amen.

Amen. Ave Maria.
Virgin most sorrowful, pray for us.
O Mary, sweetness of my life,
Stamp on my soul thy bitter strife,
And pray for me, that I may see Thy joys for all eternity.

STATION V. FIFTH DOLOUR.

In this fifth Dolour, imagine thyself, oh my soul, on the heights of Calvary when the most afflicted Virgin saw her beloved Son die. Meditation. Come, oh devout soul! come to Calvary, where are being offered to God two sacrifices; one is the Body of Jesus, the other is the heart of Mary. Оh! sorrowful spectacle, to look upon this good Mother in such a sea of woe beholding Him, who is more dear to her than life itself, martyred by the most cruel death. Alas! every blow of the hammer, every wound, every lacera- tion which the Saviour of the world received on his sacred Body, Mary received upon her heart. She stood there at the foot of the cross, so penetrated with pain and transfixed with such agony that it could not be decided which should be the first to expire Jesus or Mary. Fixing her eyes on her Blessed Son she sees that He is already breathing forth his last breath; she gazes upon his sunken eyes, his ghastly looks, his livid lips, and listens to his difficult breathing, and at last she knows that He no longer lives, and that He has already yielded his blessed spirit to his Eternal Father. Ah! surely she wished that at that moment her soul could be separated from her body and united to the soul of Jesus. And who could bear such a sight as this? Oh, most afflicted of all mothers! instead of returning from Calvary to be free from such bitter suffering, thou didst remain there immovable as a rock in order to drink to the last drop the chalice of thy affliction.

What confusion must this be for me, my soul, who strive in every way to remove those little crosses and light sufferings which God thinks fit to send me for my greater good. Grant! oh grant that I may know the value of sufferings and that I may become so attached to them, that not being satisfied with those thou sendest to me, I may cry out with St. Francis Xavier,
“Plura, Domine, plura:” “More sufferings, oh my God-oh yes, more sufferings.”

Amen. Ave Maria.
Virgin most sorrowful, pray for us.
O Mary, sweetness of my life,
Stamp on my soul thy bitter strife,
And pray for me, that I may see Thy joys for all eternity.

STATION VI. SIXTH DOLOUR.

In this sixth Dolour contemplate, oh my soul, the Blessed Virgin when she received into her arms her dead Son after He was taken down from the cross. Meditation. Consider the pang which penetrated the heart of Mary when she held in her arms the dead Body of her Son. Ah! when she fixed her weeping eyes upon his gaping wounds, when she counted his sorrows and saw Him shedding so much blood, how terrific must have been the shock to her mind, and how deadly the blow which broke her sacred heart; and, indeed, she would have fallen down dead, through agony, but for the assistance of Divine power. Oh poor Mother! yes, Mother of Martyrs, thou didst bear to the tomb the dear object of thy most tender care, who, from being fair as the rose, became like to a bed of thorns by the ill-treatment and lacerations given by the executioners.

And who would not pity thee, who would not feel themselves struck by sorrow at seeing thee in sorrow, such as would move to pity the most stony heart? I behold St. John inconsolable, Mary Magdalen with the other Marys in bitterest grief, Nicodemus not able to stand under his afflictions. And I, alas! I alone cannot shed a tear in the midst of such sorrow, ungrateful and unthankful creature that I am. Oh, my dear Mother Mary, grant that my heart may be transfixed by those same daggers which passed through thy most afflicted heart, and that I may now become truly penitent for those sins which caused thee such a cruel martyrdom.

Amen. Ave Maria.
Virgin most sorrowful, pray for us.
O Mary, sweetness of my life,
Stamp on my soul thy bitter strife,
And pray for me, that I may see Thy joys for all eternity.

STATION VII. SEVENTH DOLOUR.

In this seventh Dolour, contemplate, oh my soul, the most sorrowful Virgin at the Sepulchre of her dead Son. Meditation. Consider how full of woe must have been the sigh which the most afflicted heart of Mary sent forth when she placed in the tomb her amiable Jesus. Oh! what pain, what great woe, must she have felt in her soul, when she beheld the rock lifted with which that sacred monument was to be closed; she could not be separated from the side of the sepulchre, and her sorrow was such that it rendered her immovable, nor was she ever satisfied with looking at those cruel wounds. And when the tomb was closed, so great was her grief that she could hardly live.

Oh! most cruelly-tortured Mother, thou wilt depart presently in body from this place, but here will thy heart remain with thy true treasure. Оh grant that here too all my affections and my love may rest. How is it possible not to be struck with love for the Saviour who has given his Precious Blood for our salvation? And how is it possible not to love thee, who hast suffered so much for love of us?

Oh! by all thy Dolours upon which we have meditated, grant this favour, that the memory of those pains may always remain impressed upon our minds, hat our poor hearts may be inflamed with love of God and thee, most sweet Mother, and that the last sighs of our lives may be united to those which thou didst send forth from the depth of thy heart at the Passion of Jesus; to whom be honour, glory, and thanks for ever and ever.

Amen. Ave Maria.
Virgin most sorrowful, pray for us.
O Mary, sweetness of my life,
Stamp on my soul thy bitter strife,
And pray for me, that I may see Thy joys for all eternity.

At the end, returning to the altar, say one part of the Stabat Mater.
V. Pray for us, most sorrowful Virgin
R. That we may be made worthy of
the promises of Christ.

Prayer.
O God, in whose Passion, according to the prophecy of Simeon, the sword of sorrow pierced the soul of thy most glorious Mother, the Virgin Mary, mercifully grant that we who meditate upon her Dolours may obtain happіness by the effects of thy Passion.
Amen.

Posted in SEPTEMBER-The SEVEN SORROWS of MARY and The HOLY CROSS

Thought for the Day – 22 September – Manual of Devotions in Honour of The Seven Dolors

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Manual of Devotions in Honour of The Seven Dolors of the Blessed Virgin Mary by Father Sebastian

LITANY OF THE SEVEN DOLOURS OF
THE BLESSED VIRGIN

Lord have mercy on us. Lord have mercy on us.
Christ have mercy on us. Christ have mercy on us.
Lord have mercy on us. Lord have mercy on us.
Christ hear us. Christ graciously hear us.
God the Father of Heaven, Have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the World, Have mercy on us.
God the Holy Ghost, Have mercy on us.

Holy Trinity, one God, Have mercy on us.

Mother of Dolours, Pray for us.

Thou who didst find no room in the inn, Pray for us.
Who wast forced to take refuge in a stable, Pray for us.
Who didst lay thy first-born in a manger, Pray for us.

Who didst witness the circumcision of thy Son, Pray for us.
Who didst hear that thy Son was set as a sign that should be contradicted, Pray for us.

Who didst hear that thy own soul should be pierced with a sword, Pray for us.
Who didst fly into Egypt with thy Son, Pray for us.
Who didst grieve for the murder of the Innocents, Pray for us.
Who for three days didst seek sorrowing thy Son, lost in the
Temple when He was twelve years old, Pray for us.
Who didst note the constant hatred of the Jews against Him, Pray for us.
Who on the day of the last Supper didst bid farewell to thy Son going to Jerusalem to die. Pray for us.

Who didst learn that He was betrayed by Judas, and led away captive, Pray for us.
Who didst see Him delivered us as a malefactor by the chief priests, Pray for us.
Who didst hear that He was falsely accused, Pray for us.
Who didst learn that his blessed face was struck, Pray for us.
Who didst learn that He was most cruelly treated by the Jews and
the soldiers, Pray for us.

Who didst hear thy Son rejected for Barabbas, Pray for us.
Who didst behold Him beaten with scourges and crowned with thorns, Pray for us.
Who didst hear sentence pronounced against Him, Pray for us.
Who didst go to meet thy Son loaded with the Cross, Pray for us.
Who didst see his blessed hands and feet pierced with nails, Pray for us.
Who didst receive the last words of Jesus upon the Cross. Pray for us.
Who didst stand by Him in his agony, Pray for us.

Who didst receive into thy bosom the lifeless Body of thy Son taken down from the Cross, Pray for us.
Who after the Body of Jesus was buried didst return home all sad and desolate. Pray for us.
O Queen of Martyrs,
O Mirror of the afflicted,
Ο Comfort of the weak,
O Strength of the fearful,
Refuge of Sinners.
Through the most bitter Passion and Death of thy Son,

Deliver us from sin and evil, O Queen of Martyrs.
Through the most poignant sorrow
of thy heart, Deliver us from sin and evil, O Queen of Martyrs.
Through thy exceeding sadness and desolation, Deliver us from sin and evil, O Queen of Martyrs.
Through thy extreme anguish, Deliver us from sin and evil, O Queen of Martyrs.
Through thy groans and tears, Deliver us from sin and evil, O Queen of Martyrs.
Through thy maternal compassion, Deliver us from sin and evil, O Queen of Martyrs.

Through thy most powerful patronage, Deliver us from sin and evil, O Queen of Martyrs.

From immoderate sadness, Deliver us from sin and evil, O Queen of Martyrs.
From a pusillanimous spirit, Deliver us from sin and evil, O Queen of Martyrs.
From every occasion and danger of sin, Deliver us from sin and evil, O Queen of Martyrs.
From the snares of the devil, Deliver us from sin and evil, O Queen of Martyrs.
From hardness of heart, Deliver us from sin and evil, O Queen of Martyrs.
From impenitence, Deliver us from sin and evil, O Queen of Martyrs.
From sudden and unprovided death, Deliver us from sin and evil, O Queen of Martyrs.
From eternal damnation, Deliver us from sin and evil, O Queen of Martyrs.
We sinners,
Beseech thee hear us.
That thou wouldst vouchsafe to preserve us by thy patronage in true faith, hope, and charity,
We beseech thee hear us.
That thou wouldst vouchsafe to obtain for us perfect sorrow and repentance for our sins, We beseech thee hear us.
That thou wouldst vouchsafe to bring consolation and assistance to those who call upon thee, We beseech thee hear us.
That thou wouldst vouchsafe to succour us in the agony of death, We beseech thee hear us.
That thou wouldst vouchsafe to obtain for us a happy death, We beseech thee hear us.
Mother of God, We beseech thee hear us.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,
Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,
Graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,
Have mercy on us, O Lord.
Christ hear us,
Christ graciously hear us.
Lord have mercy on us,
Christ have mercy on us.
Lord have mercy on us.
V. In all our tribulations and
afflictions,
R. Succour us, O Virgin Mary,

PRAYER.
Write, O afflicted Mother, on my repentant heart thy Seven Dolours and the five bleeding Wounds which thy dear Son bore, that I may read therein sorrow and true love; sorrow, to endure for Jesus and for thee every sorrow; love, to despise every love for Him and for thee. Live, crucified Jesus and heartbroken Mary, for ever and ever! Through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Memorare Triste.
Remember, O Virgin Mary, most sorrowful of the afflicted daughters of suffering Eve, that from all ages it has never been known that anyone imploring thy assistance failed to gain thy compassion and protection. Animated with the confidence which this inspires, to thee, O Queen of Martyrs and Virgin Mother, I come, as a contrite sinner, weeping and kneeling. Do not, O Mother of Jesus crucified, despise my suppliant voice, but hear and grant my prayer. Amen.

Posted in SEPTEMBER-The SEVEN SORROWS of MARY and The HOLY CROSS

Thought for the Day – 21 September – Manual of Devotions in Honour of The Seven Dolors

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Manual of Devotions in Honour of The Seven Dolors of the Blessed Virgin Mary by Father Sebastian

ROSARY OF THE SEVEN DOLORS OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

I. The heartrending anguish which Mary felt in her pure soul when she heard from the prophetic lips of Holy Simeon the future sufferings of her Son.
One Our Father and seven Hail Marys.

II. The sword of grief which transfixed Mary’s heart during the flight into Egypt.
One Our Father and seven Hail Marys.

III. Mary’s misery and woe when Jesus was lost for three days.
One Our Father and seven Hail Marys.

IV. Mary meets Jesus carrying his cross, and she faints at his feet.
One Our Father and seven Hail Marys.

V. Mary stands beneath the cross, beholds Him die, and falls into the arms
of St. John, with a broken heart. One Our Father and seven Hail Marys.

VI. Mary recovers from her swoon, and receives on her lap the corpse of her Son. One Our Father and seven Hail Marys.

VII. Mary with tears in her eyes follows her Son to the tomb and sees Him buried. One Our Father and seven Hail Marys.

In honour of the tears Mary shed during her Dolours.
Three Hail Marys.

V. Pray for us, O sorrowful Mother of Jesus.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

PRAYER.
Grant, we beseech Thee, O Lord Jesus Christ, that the Blessed Virgin thy Mother may intercede for us with thy clemency, now and at the hour of our death; who, in the hour of thy Passion, was pierced in her most holy soul by a sword of sorrow ; grant this, O Jesus Christ, Saviour of the world, who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost, world without end. Amen.

INDULGENCES FOR THE ABOVE ROSARY.

I. 200 days for each Our Father and Hail Mary, when recited in the churches of the Order of the Servants of Mary.

II. 200 days for each Our Father and Hail Mary, when recited on Friday, on all the days of Lent, and on the Feast and Octave of the Seven Dolours, in any place whatever.

III. 100 days for each recital, in any place or at any time, together with seven years and seven quarantines.

IV. Plenary, with confession and communion, for those who have said it daily for a month.

V. 100 years for each recital.

VI. 150 years for Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

VII. Plenary once a year for those who recite it at least four times a week.

VIII. 200 years for those who recite it after confession.

IX. For those who frequently recite this Rosary, and have one about their persons, an indulgence of ten years each time they assist at Mass, hear sermons, accompany the Blessed Sacrament to the sick, bring sinners to repentance, &c., &c.; and the same indulgence for those who perform some
spiritual or corporal work in honour of our Blessed Lord, the Blessed Virgin, or their patron Saints, reciting at the same time seven Our Fathers and seven Hail Marys.

All these indulgences are applicable to the dead.

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Thought for the Day – 20 September – Manual of Devotions in Honour of The Seven Dolors – Prayers

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Manual of Devotions in Honour of The Seven Dolors of the Blessed Virgin Mary by Father Sebastian

DEVOUT PRAYERS IN HONOUR OF THE SEVEN DOLOURS.


V. O God, stretch forth to aid me.

R. O Lord, make haste to help me.

Glory be to the Father, etc.

I. O most sorrowful Mary, I compassionate the grief of thy tender heart at the prophecy of Simeon. O beloved Mother, through that afflicted heart obtain for me the virtue of humility and the gift of the fear of God. Hail Mary.

II. O most sorrowful Mary, I compassionate those afflictions which thy most sensitive heart endured during the flight into Egypt and thy dwelling there. O beloved Mother, by that afflicted heart obtain for me the virtue of liberality, specially towards the poor, and the gift of pity. Hail Mary.

III. O most sorrowful Mary, I compassionate that intense distress which thine anxious heart experienced in the loss of thy dearest Jesus. O beloved Mother, by that deeply- troubled heart obtain for me the virtue of chastity and the gift of knowledge. Hail Mary.

IV. O most sorrowful Mary, I compassionate the consternation which thy maternal heart experienced when thou didst see Jesus bearing the cross. O beloved Mother, of thy tender heart obtain for me the virtue of patience and the gift of fortitude. Hail Mary.

V. O most sorrowful Mary, I compassionate that martyrdom which thy generous heart endured in witnessing the last agony of Jesus. O beloved Mother, by that martyred heart obtain for me the virtue of temperance and the gift of counsel. Hail Mary.

VI. O most sorrowful Mary, I compassionate that wound which thy mournful heart endured from the lance which tore the side of Jesus and wounded his heart. O beloved Mother, by thy pierced heart obtain for me the virtue of fraternal charity and the gift of understanding. Hail Mary.

VII. O most sorrowful Mary, I compassionate the convulsions which thy most loving heart experienced at the burial of Jesus. O beloved Mother, by this extreme grief of thy sacred heart obtain for me the virtue of diligence and the gift of wisdom. Hail Mary.

V. Pray for us, O Dolorous Virgin Mother of God.

R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us Pray.
Grant we beseech thee, O Lord Jesus Christ, that the Blessed Virgin Mary, thy Mother, may intercede for us with thy clemency, now and at the hour of our death; who, at the time of thy Passion, was transfixed in her most holy soul by seven swords of sorrow; grant us this great blessing, O Jesus Christ, Saviour of the world, who with the Father and the Holy Ghost livest and reignest ever, world without end. Amen.

NOTE. – A perpetual indulgence of 300 days applicable to the dead, to all Christians every time they recite the above exercise in honour of Mary’s Woes.

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Thought for the Day – 19 September – Manual of Devotions in Honour of The Seven Dolors

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Manual of Devotions in Honour of The Seven Dolors of the Blessed Virgin Mary by Father Sebastian

A dutiful child, beloved reader, is never unmindful of the sorrows of his mother. Her sighs and labours are ever deeply imprinted on his memory, and he is bent on fulfilling that sacred command of Heaven which venerable Tobias gave to his faithful son : “Thou must be mindful what and how great were the perils which thy mother suffered for thee;” and which Ecclesiasticus, inspired by the Holy Ghost, gives to all mankind, in these words: “Forget not the groanings of thy mother.”

As Christians, we are all children of Mary. “As Christ has begotten us,” says St. Antoninus, “to a spiritual life, in the word of truth, by suffering on the cross, so, likewise, Mary has begotten us, and brought us forth in the midst of most acute pains, by sharing in the sufferings of the crucifixion of her Son.” Ah, then, never let us forget her sighs and groans, her bitter pains and sorrows. Deeply should we fix them in our memory, and day after day call them to mind.

But that you, my dear reader, may be still more encouraged to think of the Seven Dolours, let me remind you of some other advantages which you will gain from this most beautiful and consoling devotion. It was revealed to St. Elizabeth, a Benedictine nun, that our Lord will bestow four graces on those who are devout to the sorrows of the Blessed Virgin. First, that whoever invokes her by her Dolours, shall obtain the grace of true repentance. Secondly, that she will console such in all their tribulations, and especially at the hour of death. Thirdly, that the Lord will imprint on their minds a remembrance of his Passion, and inspire them with great devotion to it. Lastly, that He has empowered Mary to obtain for them whatever blessings’ she pleases.

The following striking example, revealed to St. Bridget, will greatly confirm the promises made to St. Elizabeth. She narrates that there was a certain nobleman, who had bound himself by compact to Satan for sixty years, and had during that time led a very criminal life; that before his death he obtained forgiveness, because he felt compassion for the Blessed Virgin whenever he heard the Dolours mentioned.

Therefore, I present this little book of Mary’s sorrows. Receive it with affection, and peruse it attentively; and as the bee, when it lights upon a flower, does not leave it until it has gathered all the honey that flower affords, so if you meet with anything which may touch or move your heart, dwell upon that until you have derived from it all the profit you can.

Posted in SEPTEMBER-The SEVEN SORROWS of MARY and The HOLY CROSS

Thought for the Day – 18 September – The Seventh Dolor

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Reflections on each of the Seven Dolors of Mary by St Alphonsus Liguori

The Burial of the Body of Jesus

When a mother is by the side of a suffering and dying child, she no doubt then feels and suffers all his pains; but when the afflicted child is really dead and about to be buried, and the sorrowful mother takes her last leave of him, oh God! the thought that she is to see him no more is a sorrow that exceeds all other sorrows. Behold, the last sword of sorrow which we are to consider, when Mary, after being present at the death of her Son upon the cross, after having embraced his lifeless body, was finally to leave him in the sepulchre, never more to enjoy his beloved presence.

Thus Mary, clinging to her Son, was dissolved in grief; but those holy disciples, fearing lest this poor mother would expire there through agony, went to take the body of her Son from her arms, to bear it away for burial. Therefore, with reverential force they took him from her arms, and having embalmed him, wrapped him in a linen cloth already prepared, upon which our Lord wished to leave to the world his image impressed, as may be seen at the present day in Turin. And now they bear him to the sepulchre. The sorrowful funeral train sets forth; the disciples place him on their shoulders; hosts of angels from heaven accompany him; those holy women follow him; and the afflicted mother follows in their company her Son to the grave. When they had reached the appointed place, how gladly would Mary have buried her self there alive with her Son! “Oh how willingly,” said the Virgin to St. Bridget, “would I have remained there alive with my Son, if it had been his will!” But since this was not the divine will, the authors relate that she herself accompanied the sacred body of Jesus into the sepulchre, where, as Baronius narrates, they deposited the nails and the crown of thorns. In raising the stone to close the sepulchre, the disciples of the Saviour had to turn to the Virgin, and say to her: Now, oh Lady, we must close the sepulchre; have patience, look upon thy Son, and take leave of him for the last time. Then, oh my beloved Son, must the afflicted mother have said, then shall I see thee no more? Receive then, this last time that I look upon thee, receive the last farewell from me thy dear mother, and receive my heart which I leave buried with thee.

Mary left her heart buried with Jesus, because Jesus was all her treasure: “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” And where shall we keep our hearts buried? With creatures? In the mire? And why not with Jesus, who, although he has ascended to heaven, has wished to remain, not dead but alive, in the most holy sacrament of the altar, precisely in order that he may have with him and possess our hearts? But let us return to Mary. Before quitting the sepulchre, according to St. Bonaventure, she blessed that sacred stone, saying: Oh happy stone, that doth now inclose that body which was contained nine months in my womb, I bless thee, and envy thee; I leave thee to guard my Son for me, who is my only good, my only love. And then turning to the eternal Father, she said: Oh Father, to thee I recommend him, who is thy Son and mine; and thus bidding a last farewell to her Son, and to the sepulchre, she returned to her own house. This poor mother went away so afflicted and sad, according to St. Bernard, that she moved many to tears even against their will: “Multos etiam invitos ad lacrymas provocabat;” so that wherever she passed, all wept who met her: “Omnes plorabant qui obviabant ei,” and could not restrain their tears. And he adds, that those holy disciples, and the women who accompanied her, mourned for her even more than for their Lord.

St. Bonaventure says, that her two sisters covered her with a mourning cloak: The sisters of our Lady wrapped her in a veil as a widow, covering as it were her whole countenance. And he also says, that passing, on her return, before the cross, still wet with the blood of her Jesus, she was the first to adore it : Oh holy cross, she exclaimed, I kiss thee and adore thee; for thou art no longer an infamous wood, but a throne of love, and an altar of mercy, consecrated by the blood of the divine Lamb, who has been sacrificed upon thee, for the salvation of the world.

Posted in SEPTEMBER-The SEVEN SORROWS of MARY and The HOLY CROSS

Thought for the Day – 17 September – On the Sixth Dolor

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Reflections on each of the Seven Dolors of Mary by St Alphonsus Liguori

The Piercing of the Side of Jesus and His Descent From the Cross

And now we are to consider to-day the sixth dolor which afflicted this sorrowful mother. Attend and weep. Hitherto the dolors of Mary tortured her one by one, but to-day they are all united to assail her.

That the joy of the following Paschal Sabbath should not be disturbed, the Jews wished the body of Jesus to be taken down from the cross; but because they could not take down a criminal until he was dead, they came with iron mallets to break his legs, as they had already done to the two thieves crucified with him. And Mary, while she remains weeping at the death of her Son, sees those armed men coming towards her Jesus. At this sight she first trembled with fear, then she said : Ah, my Son is already dead, cease to maltreat him, and cease to torture me a poor mother longer. She implored them not to break his legs : “Oravit eos, ne frangerent crura,” as St. Bonaventure writes. But while she is thus speaking, oh, God she sees a soldier with violence brandishing a spear, and piercing the side of Jesus : “One of the soldiers with a spear opened his side, and immediately there came out blood and water.” The cross shook at the stroke of the spear, and, as was revealed to St. Bridget, the heart of Jesus was divided : “Ita ut ambae paries essent divisse.” There came out blood and water, for only a few drops of blood remained, and those also the Saviour wished to shed, in order to show that he had no more blood to give us. The injury of that stroke was offered to Jesus, but the pain was inflicted on Mary: Christ, says the devout Lanspergius, shared with his mother the infliction of that wound, for he received the insult and his mother the pain. The holy Fathers explain this to be the very sword predicted to the Virgin by St. Simeon ; a sword, not of iron, but of grief, which pierced through her blessed soul in the heart of Jesus, where it always dwelt. Thus, among others, Si. Bernard says: The spear which opened his side passed through the soul of the Virgin, which could not be torn from the heart of Jesus. And the divine mother herself revealed the same to St. Bridget, saying: When the spear was drawn out, the point appeared red with blood; then I felt as if my heart were pierced when I saw the heart of my most dear Son pierced.” The angel told St. Bridget, that such were the sufferings of Mary, that she was saved from death only by the miraculous power of God. In her other dolors she at least had her Son to compassionate her; and now she had not even him to take pity on her.

The afflicted mother, still fearing that other injuries might be inflicted on her Son, entreats Joseph of Arimathea to obtain from Pilate the body of her Jesus, that at least after his death she may be able to guard it and protect it from injuries. Joseph went to Pilate, and made known to him the sorrow and the wish of this afflicted mother; and St. Anselm thinks that compassion for the mother softened the heart of Pilate, and moved him to grant her the body. of the Saviour. And now Jesus is taken from the cross. Oh most holy Virgin, after thou with so great love hadst given thy Son to the world for our salvation, behold the world returns him to thee again! But oh, my God, how dost thou return him to me? said Mary to the world. My Son was white and ruddy: “Dilectus meus candidus et rubicundus:” but thou hast returned him to me blackened with bruises, and red, not with a ruddy color, but with the wounds thou hast inflicted upon him; he was beautiful, now there is no more beauty in him; he is all deformity. All were enamored with his aspect, now he excites horror in all who look upon him. Oh, how many swords, says St. Bonaventure, pierced the soul of this mother, when she received the body of her Son after it was taken from the cross: ” O quot gladii animam matris pertransierunt!” Let us consider what anguish it would cause any mother to receive the lifeless body of a son!

She sees his mouth open, his eye shut, she examines the lacerated flesh, and those exposed bones; she takes off the crown, and sees the cruel injury made by those thorns, in that sacred head; she looks upon those pierced hands and feet, and says: Ah, my Son, to what has the love thou didst bear to men reduced thee! But what evil hath thou done to them, that they have treated thee so cruelly. Thou wast my Father, Bernardino de Bustis imagines her to say, my brother, my spouse, my delight, my glory, my all. Oh, my Son, behold how I am afflicted, look upon me and console me; but thou dost look upon me no more. Speak, speak to me but one word, and console me; but thou dost speak no more, for thou art dead. Then turning to those barbarous instruments, she said: Oh cruel thorns, oh nails, oh merciless spear, how could you thus torture your Creator? But what thorns, what nails? Alas! sinners, she exclaimed, it is you who have thus cruelly treated my Son.

Thus Mary spoke and complained of us. But if now she were capable of suffering, what would she say? What grief would she feel to see that men after the death of her Son, continue to torment and crucify him by their sins? Let us no longer give pain to this sorrowful mother; and if we also have hither to grieved her by our sins, let us now do what she directs. She says to us: Return, ye transgressors, to the heart: “Redite, prsevaricatores, ad cor.” Sinners, return to the wounded heart of my Jesus; return as penitents, for he will receive you. Flee from him to him, she continues to say with Guerric the Abbot; from the Judge to the Redeemer, from the tribunal to the cross. 

The Virgin herself revealed to St. Bridget that she closed the eyes of her Son, when he was taken down from the cross, but she could not close his arms: “Ejus brachia flectere non potui.” Jesus Christ giving us to understand by this, that he desired to remain with open arms to receive all penitent sinners who return to him. Oh world, continues Mary, behold, then, thy time is the time of lovers.